Clamp



March 4, 1941. c. R. CARSON CLAMP Filed Aug.

INVITA/TOR ATTaR/VE/ Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2Claims.

The present invention relates particularly to a form of clamp adapted toadjustably support a mechanism on a hospital bed.

In the application of various means for treatment of bedridden patientsin hospitals it has been common practice to use a movable oor stand uponwhich such means, such as irrigators, croup tents, etc., are suspended.Such stands are highly objectionable for many reasons. For instance,they are quite heavy; they are without wheels because they must maintaina rigid position when once placed, and consequently they must be draggedfrom one bed to another, or from one room to another; standing upon theiioor, they seriously obstruct the operations of the attendant nurse anddoctors; they are clumsy, unwieldly, and ineicient.

It is therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a meansfor properly supporting a device or devices of any kind over a hospitalbed without in any manner obstructing the floor area about the bed, andthat will effectively correct the objectionable features above setforth.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means of the characterindicated that can be easily attached to, or removed from, the side railof a bed; that will permit the quick and easy adjustment of the devicessupported thereon relative to the bed; that will be economical tomanufacture, light in weight, quickly and easily assembled anddisassembled, strong, durable, and highly efcient in its practicalapplication.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an isometric perspective view showing a device embodying myinvention, partly in section and with part broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the mode of applicationto a bed rail.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a modified form.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I show at I arectangular housing, the top of the same being indicated at 2, thebottom at d 3, the two sides at 4 and 5, and the outer end at 6.

The top 2 is projected beyond the sides 4-5 as at 1, and terminates in adownwardly and inwardly turned flange forming a hook as 8.

The bottom 3 also is projected beyond the sides 4-5 as at 9 andterminates in an upwardly turned ange as at I.

In the present case the bed rail is shown at Il as an angle iron withone flange lying in a horizontal plane and the other in a verticalplane,

and directed inwardly and downwardly, respectively, as at IZand I3.

Since the hook 8 and ange I0 perform active services in securing theclamp in position it is desirable that they be proportioned so as to en-5. gage the flanges I2-I3 with the least possible movement. To this endthe distance I4 is made a little greater than the width of flange I2,and the distance I5 is just great enough to permit the iiange I3 to seatin the shoulder between the 10 part 9 and the adjacent edges of sides4--5 and permit the hook 8 to pass over the edge of flange I2.

By means of the above arrangement and proportioning of the several partsto place the clamp on the rail it is only necessary to rst seat thebottom edge of flange I3 as above described, and as shown clearly inFigure 2, then swing the housing I into a horizontal position and seatthe flanges I2-I3 in hook 8 and against flange I 0 respectively as shownin Figure 1.

Slidably mounted in, and substantially filling the housing I, is awooden block I6 having a bore I7 formed vertically therethrough toreceive any standard, as I8, for supporting various devices not shown.

At I9 is shown a screw threaded through the outer end 6 as at 20, andslidably engaging, or passing through, a bore ZI in block I6.

By means of this construction the standard I8 30 may be adjusted asdesired in the bore I'I and then held securely in position by tighteningset screw I9. But in tightening the screw I9 on standard I8 it forcesthe standard against the side of the bore nearest rail II, andconsequently continued inward movement of the screw forces the entireblock toward and against the rail II, the one operation eifectivelybinding the standard in the block I6, and at -the same time clamping thehousing I immovably on the rail I I.

In the embodiment of :the invention shown in Figure 3 the screw I9 doesnot pass through the block I5 and communicate with the passage I1, butbears against a metallic button or disc 24 seated in the side of theblock as shown.

In this embodiment the passage I'I is only slightly larger in diameterthan the standard I8, and the block IG is split clear through on oneside from that side to the passage I'I as 50 indicated at 25, and thissplit, is so positioned as -to extend vertically of the block and at anangle, preferably at right angles, to the plane of the button 24.

By means of the construction above described may be applied to the blockbecause the disc 24 will prevent the screw I9 from boring into the wood.

The above described embodiment of the invention is particularlydesirable because it does not permit the screw I9 to deface the loutersurface of the standard I8 as is the case when the device is constructedand used as shown in Figure 1.

-In order to permit the movement of blockl IB in housing I I pro-videslots as22 .and 23 in the top and bottom parts 2 and 3 respectively.

By loosening the screw I9 the standard I8 may be raised or lowered asdesired, and at the same time the whole device may be shiftedas desiredalong a bed rail, or removed therefrom and placed upon the opposite sideof the bed or upon any other bed of similar construction.

Although a certain( specic embodiment of theinvention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that variousalterations in the details of construction and mode of assembly andoperation may be made without departf ing from the scope-of theinvention as indicated in the appended claims. I claim: v 1. Incombinationan angle iron rail, a housing having an opening formedtherein to face the rail and an extension overlying the top of the railterminating in a hook formed to engage the inner edge of the top of therail and an extension overlying the bottom edge of the rail andterminating in an upstanding ange to engage the inner side of saidbottom edge, a member slidably mounted in said housing to move throughsaid opening therein and engage the rail and having a passage formedtherethrough in angular relation to its direction of movement adapted toslidably engage a supporting member and a passage formed therein inangular relation to the first passage and communicating therewith, and ascrew threaded through said housing and passing through the secondpassage to engage the supporting member whereby said sup-porting membermay be urged into fixed engagement with the slidable member and theslidable member into xed engagement with the rail.

2. A compound clamp comprising a housing provided with means disposed toengage spaced portions on one side of a supporting rail, a clampingelement slidably associated therewith and disposed to engage the rail inopposed relation to said means, said element having a passage formedtherethrough adapted to slidably engage a supporting standard and spliton one side from the passage to its outer surface to form a clampingelement, and clamp operating means inserted between the housing and saidelement operative to simultaneously clamp the clamping element on asupporting standard therein Vand urge the said clamping element intofixed relationship with the rail.

CLOYES R. CARSON.

